Trader Joe’s New Tropical Dragon Fruit Drink Concentrate Is Basically A DIY Starbucks Refresher For $3.99
Trader Joe’s has a knack for making everyday grocery runs feel like a treasure hunt. One minute you’re picking up your usual frozen cauliflower gnocchi, and the next you’ve spotted something entirely new that stops you and your shopping cart in your tracks.
One find you might not know about that has a lot of people saying it’s a dupe for the Starbucks Pink Drink? Trader Joe’s Tropical Dragon Fruit Drink Concentrate, and yes, it’s just as vibrant and refreshing as it sounds.
Trader Joe’s has bottled up a bright, sweet-tart blend of dragon fruit purée, passion fruit juice, and lemon juice concentrate (with a little help from cane sugar and stevia leaf extract to keep things balanced).
The result is a concentrated, flavor-packed base that’s meant to be diluted with water, sparkling water, or even your favorite lemonade.
The Flavor Profile
The taste is exactly what you’d expect from something called Tropical Dragon Fruit: sweet and exotic with a tart, citrusy edge that keeps it from being cloying.
The passion fruit and lemon bring tangy brightness, while the dragon fruit adds that Instagram-worthy magenta hue and mild, fruity flavor.
Over ice with plain water, it’s a refreshing alternative to sugary sodas or pricey coffee shop refreshers. Mix it with sparkling water, and you’ve basically got a Trader Joe’s–style La Croix on steroids. And if you’re feeling extra, try it with lemonade for a tangy-sweet drink that tastes like summer in a glass.
Or, you can do as Trader Joe’s advises on their website, “To further up the Tropical ante, add a scoop of TJ’s Freeze-Dried Strawberries, or a splash of TJ’s Coconut Milk (or both!). It also makes a marvelous cocktail mixer when paired with your favorite TJ’s spirit.”
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Because it’s concentrated, a single bottle (about $3.99) will make multiple servings, making it more budget-friendly than constantly hitting the coffee shop for a dragon fruit refresher.
What Shoppers Are Saying
The internet has already started weighing in on the new drink. On Reddit, reactions are mixed, but in the way you’d expect when something is bold and a little different.
Some shoppers love it straight up:
“It’s so good. We mixed it with sparkling lemonade, and it was delicious.”
Others found the flavor a little strong for their liking:
“Didn’t hate it, but it was way too sweet for me.”
The caffeine content also caught people off guard. While it’s listed as the last ingredient, caffeine-sensitive shoppers appreciated the heads-up:
“Of note to those of us it’s important to, it contains caffeine.”
The Bottom Line
Trader Joe’s Tropical Dragon Fruit Drink Concentrate isn’t going to be for everyone: it’s bold, it’s sweet, and it has a little caffeine kick.
But if you’re looking for a drink that feels like a tropical escape in the middle of your workday, it’s absolutely worth tossing into your cart.
Think of it as the DIY version of those coffee shop refreshers; more customizable, less expensive, and conveniently waiting for you right next to the sparkling water aisle.
Whether you keep it simple over ice or turn it into your next signature summer cocktail, this new Trader Joe’s find is proof that sometimes the best part of your grocery run is what you weren’t looking for.
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